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Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of Quality-to-Price Ratios (QPRs). Because we are located in Seattle, Washington, we have a special interest in Washington State wines.

In the course of our wine journey, we also enjoy numerous wine-related activities such as traveling throughout wine country, visiting vineyards, reading wine books, and trying wine gadgets, all of which we share with our readers.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that wonâ€™t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this weekâ€™s selection, the 2006 Altas Cumbres Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)

A price tag of <=$15

Must be widely available

Malbec is a varietal that is getting more and more attention and appeals to a wide variety of folks. It has a lot to offer. It is not as tannic as Cabernet Sauvignon but is spicier than Merlot and goes well with a number of different foods.

Lagarde produces Altas Cumbres Malbec. We have tasted this wine several times; it is very good and delivers excellent QPR at less than $10 a bottle. Weâ€™ve found it to be a very consistent wine, so even if you canâ€™t find the 2006 vintage, I wouldnâ€™t hesitate to purchase whichever vintage is available. Lagarde was founded in 1897 by Jose Angel Pereira and is located in the upper Mendoza River region of Argentina. Don Luis Menotti Pescarmona and his family bought the winery in 1975 and still operate the winery today under the direction of Sofia Pescarmona, the third generation of the family to be involved in the winery.

â€œIntense red colour with blue and violet tinges. Fruity flavours where most significant are red fruits. Harmonious and elegant. Ideal for: Any kind of meat, chicken, duck and any kind of pasta, too.â€ â€“Winemaker Juan Roby Stordeur on the 2008 Altas Cumbres Malbec

Reader's Comments

Did you have a 2006 from your stash?
Even though I panned your “wine for tonight” in the survey you recently sent, you got my attention with this one. If you say Malbec, I’ll hear you. Thanks for the tip. Now let’s see if I can find this one in Tallahassee.

mrzitro,
Glad to hear this “wine for tonight” grabbed your attention. We did still have a 2006 in our stash, but I realize that you might not be able to find it on the shelves anymore. As I mentioned though, we’ve found the Altas Cumbres Malbec to be consistent so I’d encourage you to try the 2007 or 2008 if the 2006 is not available at your local wine shop. I would love to hear what you think of it if you get a chance to try it.